Article abstract
Nature Chemistry 1, 212 - 216 (2009)
Published online: 22 May 2009 | doi:10.1038/nchem.213
Subject Categories: Inorganic chemistry | Supramolecular chemistry
Stellated polyhedral assembly of a topologically complicated Pd4L4 'Solomon cube'
Tanya K. Ronson1, Julie Fisher1, Lindsay P. Harding2, Pierre J. Rizkallah3,4, John E. Warren3 & Michaele J. Hardie1
Abstract
Metallosupramolecular chemistry relies on self-assembly processes in which complicated species form through labile dative-covalent interactions. Two remarkable areas of this chemistry are the synthesis of topologically complicated threaded assemblies and of three-dimensional (3D) polyhedral assemblies. Very few polyhedral 3D metallosupramolecular assemblies show threaded motifs within them. Here we report an example of a new type of threaded 3D metallosupramolecular assembly built from four organic ligands and four palladium ions, a Pd4L4 so-called 'Solomon's cube' in which interweaving and twisting of the ligands form both Solomon's links and figure-of-eight ring motifs. In the solid state, six of these Pd4L4 tetramers assemble into a hollow spheroid that closely resembles a stellated truncated hexahedron.
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, HD1 3DH, UK
- STFC Daresbury Laboratory, Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK
- Present address: School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Academic Avenue, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK
Correspondence to: Michaele J. Hardie1 e-mail: m.j.hardie@leeds.ac.uk
